Back to School Tools for Students
Free Online Educational Resources and Homework Helpers
Aug 16, 2009
August usually means one thing – back to school time! For many people, August is the time of year when parents, educators and children start to wind down from a busy summer holiday and begin to prepare for a new school year. Why not get a head start on the new school year by utilizing readily available educational resources that are just a mouse click away?
Back to School Resources for Older Students:
Quizlet – Quizlet launched in 2005 when creator Andrew Sutherland was just 15 years old. Sutherland created the service to help other students learn vocabulary. This helpful online resource allows registered users to create flashcard sets to assist with studying.
- More than 100 subjects are available.
- Share flashcards with friends and fellow students on Facebook, MySpace or email.
- Create public or private groups in order for students to study together.
- Each flashcard set has a variety of instructional “modes.” Similar to traditional flash cards, the Familiarize mode includes the term on one side and the definition on the other. Learning tests the user on the terms and definitions just learned. The Test mode is a quiz that includes a series of questions in true or false, matching, multiple choice or written formats. Scatter is an entertaining matching game and the Space Race mode is a fun, beat-the-clock video game that tests the skills just learned.
- Users must be over 13 and a valid email address is required.
SparkNotes – Created by Harvard students in 1999, SparkNotes provides a wide variety of free study guides for high school and college-aged students. The website helps students write papers, prepare for tests and learn basic skills. From English, Spanish, Drama and Chemistry to the SAT and ACT, SparkNotes are used to supplement a student’s understanding of a particular subject or work.
- Registration is not required to view the information online.
- EBooks and printable PDF forms are available for purchase.
FreeDocumentaries – This website offers a large assortment of documentaries at no cost. Some of the films that are currently available include “Super Size Me”, “Sicko”, “Bowling for Columbine” and “Fahrenheit 9/11.”
- Some documentaries are available in different languages.
- Films are divided into categories by region, theme and title.
- Film description, comments and trailers are also available on the site.
- All copyright laws have been observed.
DropBox – Store, save and share files online for free. Since many students complete homework assignments at home or other locations, transferring information to a school account can often be problematic. USB drives may not work properly from one computer to the other, email accounts may be blocked from school websites and CDs may fail.
- DropBox is accessible from any computer or mobile device with an Internet connection.
- Users can track and undo changes at any location.
- The software automatically syncs updated and edited files of any size or type to all remote locations. DropBox automatically backs up new files to the secure servers.
- The free account includes 2GB of storage space.
- Compatible with Windows, Mac and Linux.
Free Educational Websites for Younger Students:
StarFall – This popular website is a favorite for parents, teachers and children. StarFall offers a wide variety of educational games and activities for young children including alphabet recognition skills and learning how to read.
Tux Type – Tux Type is a free typing tutor program for all ages.
- Select from Comet Zap, Fish Cascade or Lessons in a variety of levels.
- Practice and learn proper keyboarding skills in full-screen or smaller window mode.
- Tux Type is a free download and is compatible with Windows XP and Vista, Mac OS X and Linux.
NGAKids – The National Gallery of Art for Kids is an incredible art site for people of all ages. Projects include:
- Photo Op is an interactive introduction to digital photography and editing.
- BRUSHter is an interactive abstract art maker. Users can create wrapping paper, note cards and more.
- Dutch Dollhouse is a virtual 17th-century dollhouse. Users can mix and match flooring, wall coverings, characters and more.
- NGAkids Jungle is an interactive journey through a tropical jungle. Children are able to create all sorts of jungle scenes.
- Other artistic activities include 3-D Twirler, Collage Machine, Still Life and PaintBox.
NGAKids is a must-have site for art teachers and students interested in art.
CoolMath4Kids – Brush up on math skills with this educational site. CoolMath4Kids is designed for younger children up to 12 years of age. From puzzles and games to coloring books and online calculators, this all-math site provides all sorts of fun activities and lessons for kids as well as teachers. CoolMath, a sister site, is an an award winning site geared for older users between the ages of 13 and 100!
Get a jump on the new school year by utilizing the helpful online resources and back to school tools listed above.
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